Toy matador game



March 15, 1949. w. L. RIPLEY TOY MATADOR GAME Filed Aug. 7, 1946 2 SheetsSheet l INVENTOR. Wdli'er l1. Ri le BY )J:0/M%m ATTORNEYS March 15, 1949. w. L. RIFLE? 2,464,261

TOY MATADOR GAME I Filed Aug. 7, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 V INVENTOR. Walfer l1. R pley V ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 15, 1949 TOY 'MATADOR GAME Walter Louis Ripley, Clearwater, Fla, assignor of one-half to Gladys A. Ripley, Clearwater, Fla.

Application August 7, 1946, Serial No. 689,047

9 Claims. (Cl. 273.-85)

This invention relates to a game or co-ordination device embodying nutating movement.

It has been known that devices involving. the co-ordinaticn of l :uscular movement have an important interest in the lives of both children and adults. The use of a device such as this in the training of one lacking in manual dexterity, or the oo-ordination of muscular development proves their competitive desire. and enjoyment and recreation in leisure time.

It is, therefore, the primary object of this invention to provide a novel means for co-ordinating muscular movement that will afford pleasure and means recreation for both cl'zildren adults.

Another object, of this invention, to provide a means whereby muscular co-ordination may be developed by manually imparting a nutatii motion to an operating lever to achieve emu-r ing or skillful result.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an apparatus wherein certain of the objects on a game board are manually controlled, by nutating means.

A still further object of this invention is to produce apparatus where the circular move-- ment of a toy bull is controlled by nutating means, and the lateral movement of a toy matador to kill the bull is effected by a transatory movement of a lever.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an inexpensive game which may be produced in quantity and sold for home use.

urther objects will appear from the following description w en read in conjunction with the appended claims and attached drawings whcrei Figure l is a top plan view showing a preferred embodiment of a game embodying this invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational View, partially section of the game of Figure i when viewed from the left;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of and 2;

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the toy bull partly in section for illustrating the drop-off pin employed to release the bull when the meta dor makes a kill;

Figure 5 is a sectional view of Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is a fragmental sectional view showing a modified manner of securing the resilient member employed for mounting the mutating posts to the game board.

Referring to the drawings wherein like reference characters refer to the same parts through:

Figures 1 taken on line 5-5 out the various fi ures of the drawings numeral ll; designates a square box-like construction of cardboard, metal, wood, plastic or any similar material. Box 52 consists of a thin top wall M supported by heavier side walls It and i8 and end walls 59 and defining an open bottom 2i. Mounted on top wall it is a cylindrical member the outside and inside of which may resemble a bull fight arena. This member is rigidly fixed to by tabs 22 bent at right angles and clamped against the under surface. Also resiliently mounted on top Wall 34 and in a corner outside of member it is. an upright shaft 2 3 which is made of round stock. the top portion of which is spherical to provide handle 32. While any resilient mounting permitting the desired movement may be employed, the present invention contemplates rubber disc 25, which surrounds and grips shaft as seen in Figures 1 and 2, and is secured to top wall it in any suitable manner. Therefore disc 28 which of sufficient thickness to have an inherent stability, movably attaches shaft 24 to top wall it and also constrains shaft 241 to remain in a vertical position.

In the center or top wall it is another upright shaft 23 to member 2%, secured to top wall it. by a rubber disc as in the case of disc The rubber disc 323 likewise tends to hold shaft 28 in a vertical position. The upper part of shaft 2%} provided with an axial bore 34 opening through the top. Into the bore 34 in shaft 28 fits an arm 36 made of rigid wire having one end portion 33 bent at an angle of 99 and the other end Ml return bent through an arc of to provide a retention hook. In operation end portion of arm 38 is inserted into bore 34 so that it will have a free rotating engagement with shaft 253 on a common axis.

While member comprises a wire carried in bore 34, it is to be understood that any other suitable means of connection might be employed and that the rotating member 36 may take many other forms without departing from the spirit of this invention. For example, a plate-like mem-v oer such that shown in my copending applica. tion Serial No. 591,790, filed May 3, 1945, might be mounted on shaft 23 and the rotating member might be a rolling object capable of being knocked over or oil of the plate in operation of the device as hereinafter described.

The shafts 24 and 28 are connected for simultaneous and corresponding movement by con.- necting member 452. Member 552 is preferably a straight round bar, made from'a heavy-wire stock, connected at each end to shafts 24 and 28 by cotter pins 44 and 46 respectively.

On the end of arm 36 a target bearing member, such as a toy b-ull 58, is suspended by means of a novel releasable hooked attachment member 50, assembled in bore 3 in the body of the bull. Bore 54 is at right angles to a bore 56 through which passes a combined retaining and target element, such as a trigger pin 52. Member 572 is pivoted on a pivot pin 53 which passes through the body of the toy bull and has an end 5% which engages a hook shaped protuberance 59' formed at the lower end of member 5a as shown in Figures 4 and 5. Referring to Figure 4, it will be seen that the width of member 52 and protuberance 58 is such that members 52 and 553 may be dissociated by pivotal movement of trigger 52. As a consequence, bull 33 will drop from member 5i) whenever the enlarged exposed end of trigger 52 is engaged on one of its enlarged faces.

An upwardly protruding post 60 rigidly supports at its upper end a target engaging element such as a toy matador 62, and extends downwardly through a slot E l in member M. The matador is formed with an integral sword 78 and the lower end of arm 88 is screwed into crank arm 66 which in turn is pivoted on pin t8 and has an arm or lever member 7B which extends through slot 71 in wall It. Also assembled on the bottom of the matador is a rod l2 which extends through slot 14 in angle member it which tends to guide the matador 62 in its movement along slot 64 and in conjunction with arm 66 supports the matador in spaced relation above member Hi.

In operation shaft 213, which is the operating lever of this assembly is grasped by the operator and is tilted in all directions from its vertical position, the restraining action of member 2% acting to return it to its vertical position. Movement of the lever in all directions is transmitted through connecting rod 2 to shaft 28, which also resists displacement from its vertical position through resilient member 36.

This tilting and manipulation of lever 24 and member 28 imparts a rotational movement to arm 36, to which the bull is suspended, and causes the bull to whirl in a circular path around the arena and move outwardly along arm 3% under the influence of centrifugal force. The rotational speed of arm 36 and bull 48 is determined by the controlled nutating movement of shafts 24 and 28, the speed increasing and the smoothness of operation depending solely upon the skill with which the nutation of shafts 2d and 28 is accomplished by the operator. At the same time the matador is moved along slot Ed by the translatory movement of 70 and its integral arm 66 in an effort to cause sword l8 to strike trigger-pin 52 disengaging hook 563. If the trigger is struck, the toy bull will fall from arm 36 this making the kill.

While disks 2% and 30 may be secured to member M in any desired manner, a preferred manner is illustrated in Figure 6. In this figure disk 25 having a central opening 79, preferably smaller in diameter than the diameter of shaft 24 and adapted to frictionally receive shaft 24, has a thickened periphery 8B and an annular groove 8!, the bottom of which is preferably slightly larger in diameter than the diameter of opening 83 in which it is to be mounted, and which snugly receives the annular edge 82 of the opening 83 formed in member I l. Since disc 26 is a tough resilient rubber or rubber-like material it will strongly grip edge 82 and shaft 24 yet permit nutation of the shaft under control of the operator.

This invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

1. An amusement device comprising a base; a pair of spaced, substantially upright shafts mounted on said base and arranged and interconnected to permit nutating movement of one of said shafts upon corresponding manual movement of the other shaft; means mounted on said one shaft and adapted for rotational movement around the axis of said one shaft in response to nutating movement of said shaft; means, including a target element, releasably mounted on said last named means; and means including a target engaging element, mounted on said base for manual movement into the path of said target hearing means, whereby an operator may impart rotational movement to said target bearing means by nutating manipulation of said other shaft and manually move said target engaging element into position to strike the target element and release said target bearing means upon proper coordinated manipulation of said several means.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein the base has spaced openings for receiving said shafts and the mounting for each of said shafts comprises a resilient disk-like member'having a central opening designed to grip a portion of the periphery of said shaft and an annular edge por tion adapted to be secured to the portion of the base defining the respective openings.

3. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said shafts adjacent one end are provided with diametrical openings and are interconnected by a rod like member secured to said shafts by pins secured in said openings.

4. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said one of said shafts is mounted centrally of said base; a cylindrical, open ended, vertically extending wall is mounted on said base in concentric relation to said one shaft to similate an arena and said other shaft is mounted on said base outside of said cylindrical wall in position to be conveniently grasped byan operator.

5. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said one shaft is counter bored at its upper end and said rotating means comprises a substantially L-shaped member one arm of which is disposed in said counter bore.

6. The combination defined in claim 1, wherein said target bearing means comprises a body member of desired shape having a bore opening outwardly of one surface; an attachment member disposed in said bore having means at one end for slidingly attaching it to said rotating means and means at the other end formed to releasably receive a retaining element; and a retaining element carried by said body member and having one end releasably connected to. said means at said other end of said attachment member and a protruding'end formed to provide a target area.

'7. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein the means including a target engaging element comprises a lever one end of which protrudes beyond a face of said base to provide an operating handle and the other end of which is adapted to receive a right angularly disposed post a portion of which is adapted to move over the surface of said base; a body member of desired shape including a target engaging element; and pivot means disposed between said ends of said iever and pivotally mounting said lever on said base.

8. A movable target bearing assembiy for amusement device comprising a substantially L-shaped rod like member having a return bent portion at one end of one arm to serve as a retention means; a target bearing member having a bore opening outwardly of on surface; an attachment member disposed in said bore and having means at one end for siidable connection with said one arm of said L-shaped member and means at the other end to releasably receive a retaining element; and a retaining element movably mounted on said target bearing member and having one end releasably connected to said means at said other end of said attachment member and a protruding end formed to provide a target area.

Number 9. The combination defined in claim 8 wherein said target bearing member is provided with a second bore opening outwardly of an exterior surface and intersecting the bore containing said attachment adjacent its inner end; and pivot means extending through said second bore and pivotally mounting said retaining element for movement in said second bore upon engagement of said target area to thereby disconnect said one end from said means at said other end of said attachment member.

WALTER LOUIS RIPLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Lasares Aug. 27, 1912 Forbes Jan. 1, 1929 Gosnell Nov. 25, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany Sept. 7, 1922 Number 

